A Terrible Mess
by dresdendollontheprowl
Summary: AU! Emma is a princess living life in a happy land, until she is kidnapped! As her parents and best friends struggle to save her, Emma realizes that maybe this was the adventure she was always looking for.


King Charming and Queen Snow White lived in a large and beautiful castle that over looked their land. They were fair and kind rulers. Every man, woman, child, and magical being loved and respected them. They listened from the smallest to the biggest problem and addressed them in a way that would suit the families that lived there best. Their army was large and the soldiers happily served to protect the land they loved.

In the large castle also lived a beautiful princess named Emma. She had long locks of golden hair from her father and milky skin from her mother. She loved caring for her kingdom but did not care for sitting on a throne in an uncomfortable dress all day. She would squirm near her mother and father's side until court was over and then run to her room to slip on comfortable riding pants and a large white blouse and explore the countryside.

The king and queen were not frighten as they believed that all evil and the threats that came with it were long gone. There was no war, no hunger, no mass disease, and no evil since Emma was born. The land rejoiced often for how good their lives were and often called Emma their little savior as through her whole lifetime no one ever had to worry. True, some folks secretly thought it was strange but no one questioned it.

When Emma turned 18 she began to notice more princes from far away lands showing up to court and speaking to her. Emma was observant and caught wind quickly of what her parents were trying to accomplish. Although her parents believed very strongly in the power of true love, Emma had her suspicions that they were trying a little too much to help her find it.

One morning before court, she went to breakfast to speak with her parents. They were sipping cocoa and holding hand, looking deep into each other's eyes. For how long they had been together, they still acted like lovesick puppies. Sometimes it grossed Emma out. She cleared her throat to get their attention and they both turned to her and smiled.

"Hi, Mom, Dad…."She started, "I've been noticing lately there has been a lot of bachelors coming and going from the castle."

Snow and Charming gave each other a side glace of worry before regaining their posture. Snow brought her mug to her lips and looked away from Emma while Charming mumbled a quick 'didn't notice,' and took a bite of his toast.

"Just letting you two know that I don't need the help," Emma said, "I'm not interested."

Snow looked at her daughter and sighed. She was very proud of their strong and independent daughter but she also figured if they didn't give her a little push she may never look for True Love. Charming was Snow's other half and best friend. She just wanted her daughter to find that same connection and helping out wasn't a crime. She was her mother and she was just pushing her in the right direction.

Emma didn't give them much time to respond as she was already out the door. Emma was known for disappearing into the wild often for a day of exploring and coming back with muddy trims of her dress, which infuriated the gown designer. No matter how many pleas from the household servants Emma received, she couldn't be contained to the walls of the castle. There was a large world out there just ready for Emma to grab.

Today she found herself headed to a small village a mile or so from the castle. She had been known to play with the village children since she old enough to venture alone. One of her best friends was someone she had met when she was twelve. His name was Neal and he lived with some yarn spinners after he had shown up alone in the village. He didn't talk about his family and Emma didn't ask because she didn't want to upset him. All she knew was that he was happy in the village and whatever happened before that didn't darken his demeanor.

When she arrived he was out tending goats and chickens. His clothes were clean for being a farm boy and he let his hair get scruffy. A softly whistled song always flowed from his lips as he worked. He made Emma smile.

"Good morning, Princess!" Neal called when he noticed her coming his way.

She waved as she approached and plopped down on the fence, balancing herself. She sat in silence watching Neal go about his morning chores. When he was finished he went into the little house and came back with a picnic basket. With a nod of his head towards the forest, he held out his hand to help her from the fence and away they went.

They found an opening in the forest and spread out a blanket. They spent the warm afternoon laying eating their lunch and lounging around in the grass. They were both on their backs side by side, their heads touching as they looked up at the clouds. Emma felt at peace when she was with Neal and felt like she could tell him anything. Emma wondered if Neal could do the same. She never wanted to intrude, but she thought if he were as comfortable as she was, perhaps he would let her into that part of his life. Wringing her hands she took a deep breath and asked.

"Neal, what happened to your family?"

Neal let out a small sigh and sat up. Emma feared that she had upset him and sat up as well to find that he was chuckling slightly and picking at the grass along the side of the blanket. Emma could tell he felt awkward and regretted asking. She started to apologize but he cut her off.

"Emma, there is a lot I think you don't know about this world." He said.

"Excuse me?" Emma felt a tad offended by his statement.

"It's a long story," Neal said, standing up and offering her his hand, "Lets just say that my mother is long gong and my pa…father is never to be seen again. Now come on, lets get you back home."

Emma felt even more confused than she was before but felt like Neal may need time to feel comfortable with talking about his past. She knew she already overstep the boundary. Their walk was in silence yet it was a familiar silence that Emma enjoyed. Neal walked her to the gates of the castle.

"I'm sorry, Emma," Neal mumbled, shuffling his feet before looking up at her with his big brown eyes. "I shouldn't have said that earlier. What happened to my family…Give me the night to think about it and tomorrow I'll tell you everything.

"You don't have to," Emma told him, "It was rude of me to ask."

"No, no,no" Neal whispered, "It was…sweet of you to care."

Neal grabbed her left hand with both his own. Emma's eyes met his and for a moment she could not let go of that connection. His eyes held her gaze and she felt herself wanted to lean forward. She didn't notice until then how wonderful he smelled and how beautiful his lips worked to create his smile. Sadly, the bells signaling the ball would begin soon pulled them away.

"You better go." Neal motioned and let go of her hand. "I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

"Yeah," Emma said and watched him head back towards the village.

* * *

The night was murky and the rain pelted down. It was warm rain, the kind that sticks to you long after it has fallen. They didn't mind though. They were awake, they were alive, and they were free. They scaled along the walls of the castle, looking for the cellar to the kitchen. They could hear the music playing from outside the walls. The King and Queen of the Enchanted Forest sitting protective in their mighty walls. They were oblivious to what was happening in their own backyard.

He smiled when he saw the cellar door. Sure enough when he gave a good yank the doors burst open. Just like their Captain told them they would. He looked back at the small gang of the best the crew had to offer. He felt honored to be the one leading the ragtag bunch of harden men for this job.

"Alright boys," Smee called out, "Lets go!"

As the men piled into the cellar door, a few floors above them Emma was trying to avoid everyone at the ball. She was now in a new dress, as sure enough her dress designer was upset with her when she had come home with mud clear up to her shin but Snow had reminded him that his job was to make dresses and not critique how Emma wore them. So the designer sighed and got her into the new dress. It was deep red dress with long sleeves that was fit at the waist and flowed at the hips. It was less constricting than past gowns, which meant her mother must have had another little talk with the designer about her comfort level.

The large room was surround by 25ft windows with a gigantic chandler hanging from the glass ceiling. The floors were silver and blue and the stars dazzled against them. The rainfall made a pleasant pitter patter against the glass. The entrance was at the top of a grand staircase trimmed with silver banisters. Although the room was meant for dancing, many times throughout Emma's childhood she had snuck Neal in to view the constellations or watching thunderstorms. Throwing extravagant parties seemed to be a waste of space.

Emma now found herself walking around the ballroom, talking to other royals. She was curious which one of the princes her mother and father planned on having her talk to this evening. She happily greeted each one before slipping away. She did her duty as a princess but all she wanted was to leave this ball. She wasn't a big fan of dancing and wasn't a big fan of small talk.

She found her mother and father near the grand staircase, greeting each nobility as they entered. Snow saw Emma first and rushed to give her a hug. Charming smiled at his daughter and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart," Her mother, The Queen, told her. "Oh, and guess who I just saw enter!"

"I'm going to guess it is a handsome, rich, eligible prince?" Emma huffed as she rolled her eyes.

The herald, who had been continuously announcing arrivals, as it seemed to be nonstop, suddenly went quiet. Emma found this strange as the ball had only just begun and the room was not nearly full. She looked to the staircase to find none other than Neal! His hair was slicked back, the scruff was gone, and he was wearing a clean pressed brown suit with gold trim. The herald was motioning him to leave and pointing to the list.

"Snow…did you invite him?" Charming asked.

"No, he should be at the village," Snow said as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

Although he was now a grown adult, Snow only saw the little boy he once was, alone and afraid. She was the one who had asked the Spinners if they would take him as their own and through the years she kept a close eye on him. So when she saw him at the top of the staircase with what looked like an invitation in hand, fear caught her by the neck.

"Neal!" Emma excitedly murmured under her breath.

Before Snow could stop her daughter, Emma was racing up the staircase two steps at a time. She knew that she should stop Emma but she did not want to make a scene. She was sure this had to be a misunderstanding and turned to Charming, who looked as confused as she was. She watched as Emma made it to the top and held out her hand for him.

"There you are, what took you so long!" Emma loudly lied, motioning him to take her hand.

"My princess," Neal politely said as he bowed and took it.

The herald just shrugged and then continued to read off the arriving royalty. Emma was shocked to see Neal here, as he was never interested in castle business. Emma invited him to the castle plenty of times but he always told her he wasn't allowed by his guardians to attend balls or feasts. Having him hear as an actual guest and not a stowaway felt so different and strange.

They made their way down the grand staircase, their hands still intertwined with each other's. Neal looked so different and so relaxed in his suit for being a farm boy, almost as if he had done it before. Reaching the bottom of the staircase, Neal led her to the middle of the dance floor and began to waltz in step with the others. Emma felt so warm, warmer than she normally felt at these silly dances. She couldn't help but smile and laugh as Neal danced with her. She caught glimpses of her mother and father but she was spinning to fast to catch their expressions. She knew that they were probably smiling, thinking about how they met and whatnot. Romantic parent stuff. Only when they were safe in the midst of dancing couples did Emma feel it safe to talk to him.

"What are you doing here?" Emma asked.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Neal chuckled. "There was an invitation and this suit when I arrived home. I figured you had sent it."

"I didn't have anything to do with this," Emma told him.

"Then I wonder who," Neal asked.

"Well, whoever did it, I'm glad they did," Emma whispered. "It is nice to see you here."

They continued to dance as the night wore on. Others tried to ask for Emma's hand but she would turn them down. Although she did not intend to, she was making it perfectly clear to the other suitors that she preferred her current dancing partner. Emma had never felt so light and joyful. She wanted to be on this dance floor with Neal for the rest of her existence.

Meanwhile, Charming and Snow watched fearfully from a balcony. They had escaped from the dance floor to speak in private. Charming knew this was problematic. He began to wonder if he had pushed Emma too much the past few months that she would end up with…well…

"Maybe this is fate," Snow sighed, watching, as her daughter's smile grew wider. "A very silly trick of fate."

All Charming ever wanted for Emma was her happiness. They had gone through so much to create a life for her so different than their own. She was safe here but with the boy getting so close to Emma…but what if…

"Snow, this could be a good thing!" Charming realized, grabbing his wife's shoulders. "What if this could be some sort of….oh, I don't know….union between two worlds?"

"You are seriously not suggesting that." Snow groaned. "That would never work in a million years!"

But just before Charming could continue the sound of glass breaking interrupted his thought. All at once, four of the large windows were shattered and 12 hooded men were storming in through ropes to the dance floor. Women and men ran screaming towards the staircase. Charming quickly scanned the crowd and found Emma.

"Get to safety, I'll get our daughter!" Charming barked before running towards the stairs.

At the same time, Emma grabbed Neal's hand and ran for the secret exit that was under a rug left of the staircase. The guards that had been watching over the ball raced towards the men with their swords drawn but the hooded men had the advantage. No one was expecting this to happen and the guards were rusty. 18 years of no action aged their fighting moves. It only took a few swings that most of the guards were down.

"Help me pull this!" Emma yelled at Neal as they tugged the heavy rug and revealed the hidden door.

Just as Emma was about to open it, the door in the floor flew open on its own. A large cloud of dust hit them both and they began coughing and pushing away the blinding dust. Before Emma could compose herself, she found a second group of men descending from the hidden staircase. A larger man wearing a red beanie and raggedy vest snatched her in his arms and although she fought against him, his strength was too much. When her eyesight returned she found Neal being held back by the men. She shouted to him but her calls were lost as a cloth bag was put over her face. She could no longer see but could feel and hear as they dragged her down the steps and through the secret tunnel. Emma screamed for her mother, for her father, and for Neal and when the men couldn't stand her screaming any longer they gave her a nice whack on the head. She remembered no more of her journey through the tunnel.

On the ballroom floor, Charming had not reached the cellar door in time. The men who had taken Emma had put some sort of enchantment on the door that neither he nor any of his guards could break. By the time he rushed out to where the door led they were nowhere to be seen. Charming sent his men in every direction to find Emma but he feared it was too late. When he returned, most of the nobility had hurriedly left and he found Snow alone at the top of the grand staircase. As he entered, Snow turned to him, tears falling from her eyes.

"Please tell me you found our daughter." Snow asked.

When Charming could not respond, Snow fell to her knees and began to sob. Charming joined her, holding her close, but knew he could not comfort her. The cries of a mother who had lost her child cannot be calmed by any person. All Charming could do was hope that his men found Emma that night. He looked over Snow's shoulder to find the boy still on the dance floor. He was looking out of the broken windows to the sea. In that moment Charming knew exactly what had happened, although he did not understand it. He jumped to his feet, raced down the staircase, and ran to the boy.

"Why did they take her!" Charming shouted as he grabbed Neal by the collar. "Why!"

"I don't know," Neal stammered.

"Why did they take my daughter when you were right there!" Charming threw Neal down. "They could have had you!"

"It isn't his fault, Charming, stop!" Snow screamed from behind him.

Charming did not realize until he felt Snow's soft hand around his fist that he was about to harm Neal. He drew back, ran his fingers threw his hair with frustration, and walked towards the window. It did not make sense to him as he watched the ship sailing in the distance. He knew Emma was on it and he knew where she was going. It was going to take the most energy and faith he has ever had to posses to bring her home, but he wouldn't let the Darkness have her. Turning to Neal, he reached his hand out to help the young man up.

"I'm going to get Emma back," Charming exclaimed, "I'm going to need your help. Tell me all you can about your father's kingdom."

When Emma woke up, she could feel herself swaying. At first she thought she was dreaming, or perhaps had a minor head injury, but it was the saltiness in the air that made her realize where she was. Opening her eyes, she could barely see the dark ocean waves crashing against the ship. Emma tried to move her hands but found that they were tied together, she herself having her arms wrapped around a pillar of the ship currently sailing along. Her feet werew also bound and although she tried she could not get up from her seated position. It looked like she would be hugging this pillar for a while until someone could untie her.

"Eh, Cap'n, lookie here!" Someone called from behind her. "Yer Princess is awake!"

Emma looked around and tried to focus her eyesight but could only see blurry shapes. As the blurry shapes became clear, she saw dozens of men were also on board the ship and there were all coming closer to her. She moaned as she realized that these stinking, ugly, angry brutes were none other than pirates.

Her vision finally coming clear, she saw the man with the red beanie who had taken her leading another man towards her. The other man was tall with dark hair, kohl lined eyes, and a wicked smile. With his hands behind his back, he approached Emma.

"So, you are the little Princess this terrible mess is all about, eh?" He smiled. "Well, Love, you are going to fetch me quite a pretty penny."

The man caressed Emma's check with his right hand, to which Emma turned to bite. Getting his dirty pirate finger, she bit down hard. He let out a howl and Emma heard something stab the pillar near her head. Releasing the finger, she slowly turned to find a hook dug only an inch or two from her face in the wooden pillar. She gasped when she realized that it was attached to the man's arm.

"We are going to have to work on our manners if we are going to be on this ship together, Princess," The man said as he shook his afflicted hand.

At that moment thunder crashed and the wind caught the sails. It made a horrible screaming noise. The man tore his hook away from the pillar and stood to his full height. He stared down at her with his dark eyes and his devilish grin.

"I am Killian Jones and I'll be your Captain," He smirked. "I'm not one you want to be cross with, Love. Treat me nice, and I'll make sure you arrive in one piece. I was told to retrieve you, but they never said you had to be breathing."


End file.
